Wordless Wednesday

It is funny how your days start running into one another when you have little to do. I was out with a friend yesterday and honestly thought it was Monday. Hopefully I can get back on track soon… Here is a little peek into my life over the past few weeks as I prepare to leave Columbus.

I do believe I mentioned that I was suckered into wearing a Bumpit at my going away party. I feel it is only appropriate to provide evidence.

And if you weren’t aware, I’m a phenomenal dancer (this picture doesn’t do it justice).

Many of my amazing friends came out to see me off. I’ll miss them dearly and hope that at least one will surprise me out in California (yes, that was a hint).

Have you ever taken professional photos? I attended a fantastic Yelp event last week and had glamour shots taken, check me out –

And now I’m feeling a bit narcissistic… Shockingly I actually like these photos of myself (that rarely happens). Yes, this will could lead into a discussion of how we feel about photos taken of ourselves, but I think I’ll save that for another day.

When was the last time you felt glamorous? How do you feel about getting your picture taken?

Just a warning, I’ll be hosting another giveaway in the next week or so and you won’t want to miss out!

Girl’s Night

Last month I attended my first bachelorette party, it was a relaxing evening in with homemade foods and great conversation. Oh, and there was also a Pure Romance consultant to entertain us. Well after this party I realized that I’d love to have my own. Very few of my friends have ever been to my apartment, so I invited a few gals over to check it out (before I leave), enjoy a feast, and giggle at the different toys the consultant was peddling.

Now I won’t call my mother neurotic, but that woman cleans like it is her job before people step foot in the house. Somehow, I’ve inherited this gene. Oy… I vacuumed three times in the past week and made sure to hide put away all loose items. And then it was time for food preparations. Every family holiday at our house, my mother prepared enough food for twenty. We only ever had ten guests. Yet another trait I’ve been lucky enough to gain.

On Wednesday night I began baking (in between bouts of cleaning). I stole a noodle kugel recipe from a friend and made my favorite butternut squash pie. Neither was difficult to make, but attempting to make them in conjunction was impossible. I concocted the kugel first. For some reason it didn’t feel right, but what do I know, I haven’t made kugel in years. Then onto the pie. I forgot how much effort it takes to peel a butternut squash, seeds and skin were distributed all over my floor in the process. After a slight immersion blender debacle (don’t lift it above the surface of the mix, it will get on your feet), I poured the batter into a graham cracker crust and threw it in the oven.

Removing both from the oven I was astonished. Man did my pie look good! I’ve made it plenty of times in the past, but this time it looked perfect. It took a lot of effort not to dig in immediately. This was a huge hit at the party, there is only a tiny wedge left to enjoy for dinner (it doesn’t stand a chance). Everyone was complimenting my bake-itude, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you fine folk.

Butternut Squash Pie
1 small butternut squash, peeled, cut in chunks & cooked in water until soft (about 25min.)
1 cup flour
1 ½ cups sugar
½ stick margarine, melted
3 eggs
¼ cup soy milk
1 tsp. vanilla
cinnamon
graham cracker crust

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a graham cracker crust or be lazy and buy one like I typically do.
Mash butternut squash. Add all the ingredients & mix well. Pour into crust. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake for 1 hour
If you prepare the night before, reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until warm.

Of course, after all of my kitchen adventures, I had the dishes to look forward to…

How did the party go? Well it was a blast. Trying to fit fifteen people into my apartment was similar to a clown car, but we made it work. Everyone brought over food stuffs, which was sweet of them, but there were too many desserts and goodies to handle. Cupcakes from scratch, phallic cakes, the most amazing choco-chip oatmeal cookies. I had my fair share and tried to convince everyone to take it home (or just out of my home). There is a small stock pile of cookies at my place, but I’ll hide them from myself to make them last a week. Or just through the weekend. Whichever comes first…

As for the consultant, she was great. She nearly convinced me to join her ranks and go into business as a consultant (just what I need, right?). We all had a good laugh and I believe most people went home with new products of their own. What did I get? I’m not telling  ;)

What about you? How do you feel about prepping when you have guests? And what is your go to party dish?

Have you entered my Coach’s Oats giveaway? You should! Do it for a chance to win a week’s worth of oat deliciousness.

Cinco de Mustachio!

While many individuals chose to spend Cinco de Mayo in the typical fashion,* my friends and I chose to take a more original route.  After a delectable sushi dinner, we made our way downtown to an Indian restaurant.  Yes, an Indian restaurant for Cinco de Mayo festivities.  It was fantastic.  How did we decide on such an evening? Well, I’m a Yelp elite addict and I’ve found that they sponsor some amazing (and random) events.  I suggest you check out your local Yelp events section and get in on the action.  While others were crowded into other Mexican establishments, we had control of the bar area and patio (fortunately it was warm enough to sit outside for a bit).

Did I mention everyone, male and female, wore mustaches?  It made the evening more “authentic”.  I chose the Bandit variety, I was told it fit my face quite well…  I’ll let you be the judge.  I must admit, it tickled my nose quite a bit.  Boy am I glad I’ll never be growing anything like that.  I had to be very careful when drinking my margarita, god forbid any of it get wasted in my ‘stache! Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), the margaritas tasted atrocious, so I didn’t imbibe all that much before handing it off.  And I didn’t get into work with a hangover like many of my coworkers, win!

My friend Chris was adventurous and tried on an outlandishly large mustache.  He couldn’t even enjoy the beverages properly.  Ever seen a man drink beer out of a straw?  It took him quite a while to down it, then he was frustrated enough to remove it so he could consume properly.

Overall an awesome celebration with some hilarious individuals.  I look forward to the next time I can tack on some unflattering facial hair or outfit and parade around in public.  Oh wait, that will be next weekend with the Columbus Hillbillies at DWD…

Workout moment of the day – Did you know the P90X Yoga workout is an absolute b*tch?  Well I sure found out at 5am this morning.  Just an hour and a half of falling over and realizing I should work harder on my stretching and balance. I’m glad I won’t be doing that for another week.  And tomorrow is a double effort, 26 mile bike ride in the morning and a P90X workout in the afternoon.  We’ll see if I can make it all day without a nap!

*This consists of going out to a Mexican restaurant or bar, drinking a few to many margaritas, doing things they shouldn’t speak of